Category: Pub of the Year Winners

Our Kelham Island Pub of the Year is awarded to the Kelham Island Tavern. Josh and Louise took over the running of this established real ale pub two years ago. It has won many awards over the years since reopening in its current guise. The winning formula continues with the basics of a clean and tidy pub with a civilised atmosphere, varied choice of well kept real ales at reasonable prices and a well tended beer garden, their stamp on the pub is very much evolution rather than revolution – for example they’ve had a bar refit to add more UK craft beer on tap alongside the real ales and European beers and they have upgraded the pub’s lunchtime food offering. The Kelham Island Tavern is currently open part time Wednesday to Saturday for take home beers (cask, keg, bottle and can) and snacks such as crisps and pork scratchings. Check their social media for current opening times and beer range.

Our South Sheffield Pub of the Year is awarded to the Sheaf View at Heeley. When current owner James Birkitt bought the pub in the year 2000, it was a failed and closed Marstons pub. Investment was made improving the interior and outdoor drinking area as well as adding an extension and it was reborn as a freehouse pub with a variety of reasonably priced real ales and European beers served by friendly staff. In the two decades since, the winning formula has changed very little – only noticeable differences are bar snacks such as sandwiches are now sold, some of the beers are always from Neepsend Brewery (same owners) and the keg taps have UK craft beers alongside the European imports.

• At the moment the Sheaf View is open to collect take home beers on Fridays, these should be ordered in advance using their online form – check their Facebook page for details.
• The pub is due to reopen on Tuesday 14th July with Covid-Safe arrangements in place including a one way system in, out and around the pub – see their Facebook page for more details.

 

Our North Sheffield Pub of the Year is awarded to the Gardeners Rest in Neepsend. When long standing owners and licencees Pat and Eddy retired and sold up, a whole bunch of regulars put money into a community enterprise (Gardeners Rest Community Society) that now operates the pub. As before it is a great real ale pub with a choice of rooms, bar billiards, traditional music performances and slightly eccentric riverside beer garden but the community element has been cranked up a notch or two which is reflected in the people working there and the groups using the  meeting room upstairs. The pub is currently opening part time (afternoons Wed-Sat) for take home beer sales, check their social media for current opening times and beer choices.  

Our West Sheffield Pub of the Year is awarded to the Itchy Pig Ale House in Broomhill. This friendly micro-pub is a converted gift shop and offers five real ales along with a number of craft beers on keg taps. Many of the bar snacks are of a Porcine theme with pork scratchings and pork pies involved, hence the humorous name! The Itchy Pig is currently open selling beers to take home from 3pm to 5pm Tuesday to Sunday with home deliveries available locally those days from 5pm to 7pm (orders and enquires by email orders@theitchypig.co.uk).  

We are pleased to announce that our branch’s entry into the competition, the New Barrack Tavern on Penistone Road, has won and is now one of the final 16 pubs being judged for the national Cider Pub of the Year award! We’ll be arranging for an award presentation party to take place in the autumn, watch this space for details!

Following suggestions that followed a motion at our branch AGM last year, we’ve made some changes to our Pub of the Year competition for this year in order to give a better chance of recognition to pubs outside the most visited locations (ie the City Centre and Kelham Island). As always, the qualifying pubs are those that have either been awarded a place in the current Good Beer Guide or received a Pub of the Month award over the past year (which is nominated and voted for by our members). All CAMRA members in Sheffield & District were invited to vote for which pubs they thought were best in order to come up with winners for the different regions of Sheffield & District. The winner from each area was then put forward to judging to pick the overall winner using objective criteria. Our overall Sheffield winner then goes forward into the Yorkshire round of the national competition whilst our District winner goes forward into the North Derbyshire round of the national competition. Running alongside our main pub of the year, we also make an award for Cider Pub of the Year and Club of the Year which is selected by members at a branch meeting. CITY CENTRE WINNER – Rutland Arms, Brown Street The Rutland was once a failed, boarded up Punch Taverns pub until that pub company sold the building to a local property businessman who converted the former B&B accommodation upstairs into a student flat and kept the pub part of the building to rent out to a local independent operator. That at the time was Andy Stephens’ Reet Ale Pub Company that set the pub going in its current direction – a classic pub with a slightly punk twist, real ale, fresh food, beer garden and juke box. Two years ago Chris Bamford and Kate Major took over the Rutland along with the existing staff and manager Heather. The bar has been refitted and has a wider selection of craft beers on keg alongside the reorganised handpumps that feature a couple of house beers from Blue Bee along with numerous guest ales on cask. Regular special beer events take place with themed nights, tap takeovers and beer tastings often in the diary. On the food front, good quality fresh cooking continues to feature with the printed menu offering a selection of bar snacks and the specials board offering bistro standard small plates, main meals and sandwiches. One of the more recent developments is the expansion of the choice of vegan dishes. As for that juke box? – well you are still warned to pay attention to the forbidden music board… SOUTH SHEFFIELD WINNER – Sheaf View, Heeley The Sheaf View was closed and boarded up when James Birkett bought it in the year 2000. When he reopened it the pub was a hit straight away with a variety of real ales and reasonable prices plus European beers on keg, simple clean interior decorated with breweriana, beer garden and friendly service. In the last 19 years little has changed – sandwiches are now available to buy at the bar and a number of Neepsend Brewery beers are always available due to being under the same ownership – but otherwise the winning formula has been kept and the pub is as popular as ever! Getting there: buses 10/10a/20/24/25/43/44/X17 stops on Chesterfield Road outside Ponsfords or buses 18/19/252 stops on Prospect Road near Heeley City Farm. WEST SHEFFIELD WINNER – Itchy Pig Ale House, Broomhill Although a relatively new addition to the Sheffield beer scene, it is one that has established itself pretty well! The founder of this micropub, Ted, is from Kent originally but now lives in Sheffield with his wife. The bar features a range of craft beers on both cask and keg, friendly staff and pork scratchings. As well as the popular micropub in Broomhill they have an outside bar, which currently serves the drinks at Sheffield Eagles rugby fixtures at the Olympic Legacy Park. Getting there: bus 120 stops outside, buses 51/52/52a/273/274 stop nearby. KELHAM ISLAND WINNER – Kelham Island Tavern, Russell Street A pub that needs no introduction having won many awards over the years! When Trevor Wraith bought the pub in 2002 it was closed, boarded up and in the red light district although a number of other real ale pubs had been established in the area at the time. Right from the word go, the formula and standards to expect was clear – the pub is clean, comfortable and friendly; a large range of real ales with all the main beer styles covered (so yes always a dark beer and a mild available!), reasonable prices, simple lunchtime food and a lovingly maintained beer garden. Although the formula and traditional standards have remained unchanged over the years, there has been some innovation including the back room being built as an extension and the introduction of a regularly changing UK craft keg line. At the end of last year Trevor retired and the management of the pub has been taken over by Josh and Louise – who also run Blue Bee Brewery and have been involved in Sheffield’s Steel City Beer & Cider Festival in the last few years. Josh is also no stranger to the Kelham, having worked behind the bar when he was at University. Only subtle changes have been made under the new management – the lunchtime food menu has been overhauled and cask beer from some of the more fashionable brewers such as Cloudwater and Buxton has appeared on the bar for example whilst Bradfield Farmers Blonde has also given way to Blue Bee Reyt Blonde. DISTRICT (DERBYSHIRE) WINNER – Three Stags Heads, Wardlow Mires The Three Stags Heads is something of a legendary rural pub. It is featured in CAMRA’s national inventory of unspoilt pub interiors and run very much with a no nonsense attitude! There are two small rooms, one containing the bar and both have a real fire, usually with dogs in front of them (therefore you are asked to take care opening the front door which opens onto a main road!) The pub hit the headlines in the Sheffield Star in the 1990s with their sign above the bar asking patrons to refrain from asking for draught lager as a smack in the gob often offends. The beer choice is a number of handpumps dispensing beer from Abbeydale Brewery, including their strong and dark house ale, Black Lurcher, named after the dogs that used to be resident in the pub. The food and decor reflect the pubs place in a countryside community, also look out for the plates made in the ceramic workshop on site. Regular music sessions also take place. Note as the pub is small minibus groups can only be accommodated with advance arrangement. NORTH SHEFFIELD WINNER & OVERALL PUB OF THE YEAR – Gardeners Rest, Neepsend The Gardeners Rest has been a Sheffield real ale institution for many years now under the management of Pat and Eddy, although it was nearly lost to the Sheffield flood of 2007. It featured a range of ales including many new ones, cider, folk music, art, bar billiards and a riverside beer garden. Latterly it became the tap for the Sheffield Brewery Company. Pat and Eddy retired in October 2016 and put the pub up for sale. The Gardeners Rest Community Society took over the running of the pub and the following year bought the pub outright having raised funds through the combination of a community share issue and finance from the Plunkett Foundation & Key Fund. The Gardeners continues to offer beer from Sheffield Brewery along with a selection of guest ales on its handpumps, there is still music performed in the lounge, a quiz night and art on the walls; the bar billiards table has been moved into the snug, sandwiches and pork pies are now available to buy at the bar and the slightly eccentric riverside beer garden has been improved. A function room is now available upstairs for meetings and community events. Less visible is the pub’s community participation ethos and as well as hosting local meetings/events for local groups they get involved with taking on volunteers wishing to learn skills, gain confidence and improve their ability to get a job among other initiatives. For us it is just a great classic pub with nice beer in the hands of people who care. Getting there: Bus 7/8 stops right outside or Infirmary Road tram stop is 5 minutes walk away. CIDER PUB OF THE YEAR – New Barrack Tavern, Hillsborough The New Barrack Tavern on Penistone Road is owned by Castle Rock Brewery of Nottingham and has been run by Kev and Steph ever since the brewery bought it. Initially they were employed as managers, now they lease the pub and run it as their own business. Investment in the pub over the last few years has included the entertainment stage in the front room which hosts live music and comedy clubs; upgrades to the beer garden and the extension that contains a function/meeting room with its own bar. More recently it was decided that food wasn’t the focus of the pub so the latest change has been to remove the kitchen and replace it with a new area not only featuring an extended bottled beer choice but also a cider bar enabling the pub to offer a much extended choice of traditional ciders. Our Cider Pub of the Year award reflects the investment, work and effort to offer and promote an improved choice of cider & perry in a City where the choice of real cider is still quite limited. Getting there: bus 7/8/86 stops outside, Bamforth Street tram stop is a few minutes walk away. CLUB OF THE YEAR – Royal British Legion, Chapeltown The Legion is a members club located near Chapeltown railway station with a good selection of guest ales, and many forms of entertainment. The club organises an annual BBQ & Beer Festival in July. Three handpumps offer Abbeydale Moonshine, one changing dark beer, and one other changing beer from a wide variety of local brewers, including Acorn, Chantry, Pennine, Sheffield, Stancill, and Toolmakers. During 2016 they had 124 different real ales from 14 different local breweries. The club organises race nights, Chase the Ace and occasional live music. There is a full-size snooker table, darts, and Sky & BT Sports for the big match. Our Club of the Year award recognises a club making the effort to serve good real ale.

It will come as no surprise to many that the winner of our Pub of the Year award for 2018, as voted for by branch members, is the Kelham Island Tavern on Russell Street. The pub was previously known as the White Hart and until Trevor and Lewis opened it in its current guise back in 2002 it was closed, boarded up, and in danger of becoming derelict. The pub proved popular from day one and an extension was built at the rear to cope as well as the yard outside being developed into a pleasant beer garden. The pub serves three regular beers – Acorn Barnsley Bitter, Pictish Brewers Gold and Bradfield Farmers Blonde – and up to ten changing guest ales on handpump. The range covers a variety of beer styles with a dark beer (stout or porter) and a mild always available. A cider and perry is also available and on the keg lines there are various continental beer styles, plus a range of malt whiskies. A simple food menu is served at lunchtimes from 12-3pm every day except Sunday. Outside these hours there are often sandwiches and pork pies available. The bar is open from midday until midnight daily. The Kelham hosts their annual beer & cider festival at midsummer when an outside bar pops up in the beer garden. The pub also takes part in the folk music session festival spread across a number of venues over the Easter weekend. The rest of the year folk and other musicians gather in the back room to play most Sunday evenings. There is also a weekly quiz on Mondays. Part of the ongoing success of the Kelham including its many awards has been due to maintaining high standards. The beers are always well kept, reasonably priced and served by friendly staff into oversized lined glasses to ensure a full measure, the pub is always kept clean and tidy (they are also proud of their 5* food hygiene rating!) and customers are encouraged to keep their language civilised (if you have to swear, please drink elsewhere!). Although the standards and principles that the Kelham is run by hasn’t changed in the 15 years, this doesn’t mean there has been no innovation – there is now an extra keg line serving modern UK craft beers and bottled gluten free beer is available. We’ll be presenting the award certificate to the Kelham Island Tavern at 3pm on Saturday 12 May, so please come and join us for what is sure to be an enjoyable afternoon!

The Red Lion is the village pub in Litton, near Tideswell. It is a traditional stone building nestling on the village green offering a choice of cosy corners off a central passageway with a fireplace at the heart of the pub. The pub’s role as the village local has been recognised by Derbyshire Dales Council by listing it as an Asset of Community Value. The pub dates back to 1787 when it was converted from three miners’ cottages and, as with many good country pubs, there is a pub dog – Humphrey, a black Labrador. The pub also offers bed and breakfast accommodation with two rooms available upstairs if you want to use the pub as a base for a few days visiting the Peak District. The pub kitchen is open with the chef serving fresh food every day – Sunday 12-8pm, Monday-Thursday 12-3pm and 6-9pm, then Friday and Saturday 12-9pm. The Red Lion isn’t a big pub so it is advisable to book a table in advance if you plan to eat. On the bar there are four real ales offered including two regular LocAles – Abbeydale Absolution and Peak Ales Bakewell Best Bitter – and two changing guests. The beer quality is Cask Marque accredited and you can find out what beers are currently available and which are coming soon by visiting the pub’s website – theredlionlitton.co.uk. We will be running a minibus trip out to the Red Lion to present the award certificate; the date will be announced soon once the arrangements have been made.

It is with great pleasure we can reveal that the Interval Cafe Bar has been awarded Sheffield & District CAMRA Club of the Year for 2018. The University of Sheffield Students’ Union sits between Western Bank and Glossop Road and is a whole complex offering a raft of facilities for students including shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, nightclub, music venue and even a cinema. One of the venues within the building is Interval, a modern cafe-bar that opens out onto the Union Beer Garden. Of the Students’ Union bars, this is the one that is geared more towards quality and sophistication than the others. A relaxed atmosphere is offered and during the daytime customers can be seen enjoying sandwiches, cakes, coffee and conversation, while in the evening they may be attending a special event and enjoying beer and pizza or one of the other meals or snacks offered (food is served until 9pm). Interval isn’t the only bar in the Student Union that offers real ale (there are handpumps in Bar One, for example), but it is the one that makes the most effort to provide and promote good beer. Seven handpumps can be found on the bar serving real ale and real cider with local favourite Abbeydale Moonshine being the regular house ale and a changing range of guest ales alongside it. Interval supports the University of Sheffield Real Ale & Cider Society who meet there for their social events and is also involved with the annual Students’ Union Beer & Cider Festival. This sees around 100 different real ales, ciders, perries and craft beers on offer across the Raynor Lounge, Union Beer Garden and Interval, plus food and music. The festival takes place over the May Day bank holiday weekend from Friday to Sunday and is open to the public. Our Clubs Officer will be presenting the award certificate to Interval manager Richard Jourdain on the Saturday of the festival (5 May) at around 4pm, and you are more than welcome to come and show some support and enjoy the festival!